Colonial League football: Changes coming for several teams

Southern Lehigh QB Travis Edmond (left) looks for room to run in the second… (Kevin Mingora, THE MORNING…)

September 14, 2012|Tom Housenick

Palmerton coach Chris Walkowiak had seen his team make improvements in all but two areas in last Saturday's game at Wilson.

Unfortunately, those two areas are among the most important — turnovers and the scoreboard.

The Blue Bombers dropped to 0-2, thanks in large part to seven penalties and four turnovers.

That has prompted Walkowiak to make some changes in preparation for Friday's game against visiting Salisbury (0-2).

Freshman Zach Buck will start at quarterback for the foreseeable future and senior Cody Peters will move from QB to wide receiver.

"I think we improved dramatically from Week 1 to Week 2 with regard to our attitude," Walkowiak said. "We played for four quarters."

The Blue Bombers had several chances to score more in a season-opening 26-6 loss to Notre Dame-Green Pond, but again were in the generous mood. They committed six turnovers.

"We were inside their 20 five times and didn't score," Walkowiak recalled. "Our defense has been playing very well.

"But, offensively, our run game is ahead of our passing game. If we can get more consistency there, we'll be OK."

Buck has played quarterback since he began playing the sport, and Walkowiak said the freshman is wise beyond his years.

Other changes include Logan Lesher moving from receiver to tight end and, with Andrew Strauss out with a foot injury, Alex Raub shifting from tight end to Strauss' tackle spot.

Some of these mistakes were expected, with at least six freshmen and sophomores combined on the field most times. But there have been too many for Walkowiak and his staff.

"Zach has a sense of maturity that most ninth-graders don't have in picking up the game," the second-year head coach said. "You can teach him on the fly."

With Palmerton's passing game struggling (8-for-30, 7 INTs), opposing defenses can gang up on senior running back Alex Vignone. That will make it tougher for the Blue Bombers to get consistent production on the ground, and thus, be forced to pass.

"There's no real rhyme or reason for some of [the mistakes]," Walkowiak said. "Just mental lapses. We're one block away, but for some reason we're not blocking someone at the point of attack."

John Toman has a similar problem with consistent execution and promises personnel changes when his Southern Lehigh (0-2) squad hosts Bangor (2-0) at 7 on Friday. The Spartans have made mistakes in bunches that have led to big swings in momentum.

They have committed 10 turnovers in two lopsided losses in which the games were decided in one quarter.

In the opener, Northern Lehigh scored 26 points in the first eight minutes en route to a 33-7 win. Last week, Catasauqua scored 35 second-quarter points on its way to a 49-8 rout.

"Offensively, we've had 16, 17 first downs so we've just tweaked some things to get us in the end zone," Toman said.

One change Toman acknowledged was moving Kyle Durics from linebacker back to defensive end, where he played last season.

The Spartans hope to have a change at linebacker with the return of Collin Kendrick, who missed the Catasauqua game with an injury. If not, Tyler Derby will stay there.

"Sunday, we were brutally honest with them," Toman said. "We talked about adversity, life's lessons, the things that happen outside of football.

"If you lose your job, you go back out there and get another one. What are we going to do, hang our heads because we lost two games? "

BANGOR AT SOUTHERN LEHIGH

•When: 7 tonight

•In the spotlight: The Spartans' psyche. Things have gone counter to what they've expected, particularly with regard to turnovers. They have 10 and a minus-8 turnover ratio in the first two games, both lopsided losses. Bangor is a minus-2, but has a 2-0 record.

•By the numbers: Bangor has scored in every quarter this season, but has yet to give up a second-half point. … As tough as things have been, Southern Lehigh has allowed only seven second-half points. In the first two quarters, the Spartans have been outscored 75-8.

PEN ARGYL AT NOTRE DAME-GP

•When: 7 tonight

•In the spotlight: Pen Argyl's defense. The Green Knights allowed 4.9 points per game during the 2011 regular season. They are right on pace with that again this year, having given up a total of 10 points in two wins. But the Crusaders are athletic, particularly at quarterback where Kordell Theadford loves to get on the perimeter and test a defense's discipline and ability to make tackles in the open field.

•By the numbers: Pen Argyl has won the last eight meetings in the series, including the last three by a combined 133-16 score during ND coach Chuck Muller's tenure. … Michael DePaolo and Tanner Geake lead the Knights with 12 tackles each. Scott Beltz has four sacks.